Sixteen years ago I attended my first ever Rugby League game between Hull KR and Leigh on a midweek winter night.

I guess you have to start somewhere!

My only real memories are that the scoreboard was electronic and actually worked, I was stood in ‘the well’, which is the terracing behind the dugouts, and it was bloody freezing!

The game ended with a 44-22 Rovers win and I became transfixed on the east stand across the pitch, which was barely half full yet the supporters who did attend created such a good atmosphere that I wanted to be in there with them.

As time went on I attended more games and started working for the club selling programmes. The club secretary at the time, Ron Turner, used to hand me a £10 float and I used to think I’d be minted if I made off with it.

Looking back I feel quite proud of myself for making the club some money at such an early age because although I used to miss the kick off but often returned to the office with a good £35/45 in my money bag. I had to give it up after about two years because I’d started playing myself and was never sure if I’d get to the ground in time to take up my post.

Unfortunately the club were in a financial mess for a number of years and were entered into a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) to try and stay out of administration, and whereas that kind of goes over your head when you’re a kid, I realised something must be happening because we ended up raising money for the club by walking from East Park to Craven Park for ‘Rovers On The March’, which is still celebrated by supporters that remember it.

We hammered Swinton that day and the main thing that stood out for me was that Mark Hewitt played a blinder, scored a try and still came off the pitch with a clean shirt on!

That was around the same time that we’d drawn Super League side London Broncos in the Challenge Cup and I’d heard about the likes of Shaun Edwards and Martin Offiah, who were from the Super League and were better than any player I’d have seen up until that point.

As it turns out, we lost narrowly, 6-0 I think, and it was the first time I ventured over to the east stand, and I’ve stood there ever since.

This was my introduction to what we affectionately call ‘The Greatest Game’.

I’ve grown up with the sport and have seen it mould itself into the product we see today. Like everyone else, I have my own personal highlights that I look back on, and amongst a lot of doom and gloom that seems quite contagious, recognise just how good Rugby League is.

At one point or another you’ll be sat around having a few beers with your mates who you’ve met at the rugby and the conversation will turn to, ‘do you remember this, do you remember that?’ As a group you’ll reminisce about the big things that have shaped your love for the sport, and the little things that everyone can relate to.

That to me is what makes our sport so special; the togetherness of the supporters of each individual club, and then as a collective across the board. This is my 1000th post on this forum, so I thought I’d try and make it a good one.

Not sure you're meant to enjoy it mate. I thought the point was to question and analyse everything in minute detail, declare everything a joke and not as good as in the past before announcing you have had enough and are leaving forever.

Sixteen years ago I attended my first ever Rugby League game between Hull KR and Leigh on a midweek winter night.

I guess you have to start somewhere!

My only real memories are that the scoreboard was electronic and actually worked, I was stood in ‘the well’, which is the terracing behind the dugouts, and it was bloody freezing!

The game ended with a 44-22 Rovers win and I became transfixed on the east stand across the pitch, which was barely half full yet the supporters who did attend created such a good atmosphere that I wanted to be in there with them.

As time went on I attended more games and started working for the club selling programmes. The club secretary at the time, Ron Turner, used to hand me a £10 float and I used to think I’d be minted if I made off with it.

Looking back I feel quite proud of myself for making the club some money at such an early age because although I used to miss the kick off but often returned to the office with a good £35/45 in my money bag. I had to give it up after about two years because I’d started playing myself and was never sure if I’d get to the ground in time to take up my post.

Unfortunately the club were in a financial mess for a number of years and were entered into a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) to try and stay out of administration, and whereas that kind of goes over your head when you’re a kid, I realised something must be happening because we ended up raising money for the club by walking from East Park to Craven Park for ‘Rovers On The March’, which is still celebrated by supporters that remember it.

We hammered Swinton that day and the main thing that stood out for me was that Mark Hewitt played a blinder, scored a try and still came off the pitch with a clean shirt on!

That was around the same time that we’d drawn Super League side London Broncos in the Challenge Cup and I’d heard about the likes of Shaun Edwards and Martin Offiah, who were from the Super League and were better than any player I’d have seen up until that point.

As it turns out, we lost narrowly, 6-0 I think, and it was the first time I ventured over to the east stand, and I’ve stood there ever since.

This was my introduction to what we affectionately call ‘The Greatest Game’.

I’ve grown up with the sport and have seen it mould itself into the product we see today. Like everyone else, I have my own personal highlights that I look back on, and amongst a lot of doom and gloom that seems quite contagious, recognise just how good Rugby League is.

At one point or another you’ll be sat around having a few beers with your mates who you’ve met at the rugby and the conversation will turn to, ‘do you remember this, do you remember that?’ As a group you’ll reminisce about the big things that have shaped your love for the sport, and the little things that everyone can relate to.

That to me is what makes our sport so special; the togetherness of the supporters of each individual club, and then as a collective across the board. This is my 1000th post on this forum, so I thought I’d try and make it a good one.

They call it Rugby League… and I quite like it.

Good post. It's all too easy to forget that the reason we get so passionate about RL's goings on is that we really do love the game. I, for one, would feel lost without it.